Advertising display device



I. W. SMlTH ADVERTISING DISPLAY DEVICE Nov. l9, 1929.

Filed Dec. 1926 ATTORNEY I Patented Nov. 19, 19 29 mm STATES m w. s erra, or NEWARK, new JERSEY, ASSIGNOR 'ro TION on NEW YORK PATENT, OFFICE B. LJAKINS, INC., A CORPORA- Anvnnnsme DISPLAY nnvxon Application filed Deeeniber 6, 1926. Serial No. 152,833.

This invention relates to advertising display signs upon which the letters, numerals,

characters or a facsimile of the article to be advertised are placed in any desired manner and which are caused to be held'in position by means of magnetism.

The object of this invention is to produce an advertising display sign having abacking member or supporting surface of a magnetic metal such as soft iron to which small permanent magnets are held by their magnetic attraction; said permanent magnets having fastened to them, letters, numerals,

characters or a facsimile of an article or articles to be advertised.

Another object of my invention isfto pro.- duce a letter, numeral or facsimile of an articleto be advertised to be used in connection with magnetic display signs, said letters numerals, characters or facsimile being composed of a non-magnetic material such as card board, bakelite, insulating material, composition material, or preferably celluloid to which is securely fastened by any suitable means a small permanent magnet.

Another object of my invention is to produce a letter, nume ah-character or facsimile of an article to be advertised which will be flexible and not easily destroyed when handled, and which will be very light in weight so that a small permanent magnet -secured to,

its rearsurface may hold it in any desired position upon a supporting surface of magnetic meta I Another object of my invention is to produce a display sign supon which letter nu.-

merals, characters or a facsimile of an o ject orarticle may be placed in any desired order and which may be readily changed at Will.

' without defacing the sup, 'or'ting member or .-in'juring-'the letters, num ers, characters or I i A further object of my invention is to pro- ,duce a magnetic displaysign 'which'willabe a permanent fixture due to its characters being magnetically applied and which wi'll'be attrac'tive'in appearance, and inexpensive to ..manufacture.'

With these and other objects in view, to be more fully set forth hereinafter, the invention consists in the novel construction, com-U b1nat1onof elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the operation and construction herein described in the following specification-and illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

The invention will first be described in connectlon with the accompanying drawings,

wherein similar reference characters are used a facsimile of anobject or article-tobe ad-' vertised in position;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view taken on the llne 22 of Fig. 1 (letter P) illustrating how the letters, numerals or afacsimile 1s magnetically held in position upon the supporting member; 1

3 is a' -rear view of the letter P;

Fig. 4 is a 'rear view of the letter S;

.. Fig. .5 is an end View of a modified form'of letter of non-magnetic material having two permanent magnets secured thereto to holdit in position u on a magnetic metal due to its Increased welght; and I v Flg. 6 is a rear view .of same.

' Referring to the drawings, numeral 1 represents a supporting member ofmagnetic metal such as soft sheet iron around which is placed the frame or edging 2*. The letters i and numerals 3 and the facsimile 5 may be of any desired type and s'ize,,and composed of any non-magnetic material which will be flexible and light inweight, preferably celluloid, the surface of which may be decorated to suit a particular article to be advertised or tomatch any desired color scheme. The

permanentmagnet 4 is securely fastene'd to the rear sur'faceofthe letters and numerals 3 and facsimile 5 by means of cement or any one of many other suitable means. The flanges 6, integral with the letters,

numeralsa terial in which and facsimile, serve to preserve the relation of the latter parallelwith the surface of the supporting member when one permanent ma net is used as illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3 an 4, The flanges 6 serve as spacing members which when placed in contact with the supporting member 1, but with the letters or numerals 3 slightly canted, space the ma nets from the background or member 1. n this osition the letters can be moved around free y, spaced and adjusted and, when in can be rotated upon their proper position,

bringing the magnets flanges 6 as fulcrums,

down upon the surface of the member 1, to retain the letter in position and thus avoid all sliding or frictional movement of the hard steel magnets over the finished surface of the member 1.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have illustrated a modified. form of letter -7 composed of'heavy mathe supporting edge 6 is dispens'ed with, but owing to the weight of the letterI employ a plurality of permanent magnets 4 toretain or holdthe same in proper position on the supporting member 1.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statute, I have described my inven- I tion, but I desire it understood that it is not confined to the i the appended claims,

particular form shown and described, the same being merely illustrative,

' and that the invention can be carried out in other ways without departing from the spirit of m invention, and therefore, I claim broa y the right to employ all equivalent instrumentalities coming withinthe scope of V and by means of which,

objects of my invention are attained and new results accomplished, as it is obvious that the particular em odiments herein shown and described are only some of manythat can be emplish these results.-

Having now I claim and desire to secure 'by Letters Patentis:

1. In a display device, a background'mem ber having a magnetic surface and a detachable character unit, the latter comprising a said rear face in spaced relation to said fulcrum member, said magnet being so proportioned as to contact with and'adhere to said surface when said plate is swung upon said fulcrum member to a position substantially parallel to said surface.

3. In a display device, a background member having a magnetic surface and a detachable character unit, the latter comprising a V plate having a fulcrum member upon its rear face, sa d fulcrum member comprising a nonmagnetic marginal flange, a permanent magnet secured to said rear face'in spaced relation to saidflange, said magnet being so proportioned as to contact with and adhere to said surface when said plate is swung upon said flange to a position substantially parallel to said surface.

4. In a display device, a background mem-- her having a magnetic surface and a detachable character unit, the latter comprising a plate of thin non-magnetic material havlng an integral backward turned marginal flange,

a permanent magnet secured to the rear face I of said plate in spaced relation to said flange, said magnet being so proportioned as to contact with and adhere to said surface when sa d flange is placed upon said surface and said plate is rotated upon the edge of said flange as afulcrum to apo'sition substantially parallel t0.,said surface.

- This specification signed this 29th day (if November, 1926.

-i IRA ZW. SMITH.

ployed to attain these objects and accom-.

described myinvention what plate having a fulcrum member of non-magfulcrum member to .a posiarallel to said surface.

platehaving a fulcrum member upon its rear face, said member comprising spacing means of non-magnetic material adjacent a margin of said plate, a permanent magnet secured to surface and said plateis a background mom a 

